Naples as Capital, the "Route of Abruzzi" and the introduction of mountain economy in a wider market. Relations with Florence and Lombardia

From the Longobard-Frankish Age, the ridge Apennine route acquired a new importance thanks to the relations with the ducal capital cities of Spoleto and Benevento. The monarchical unification, carried out by Normans, gave this road a key role in all over the Southern Italy. However in the Norman Age there wasn’t yet, between the Southern Reign and the Central-Northern Italy, a well-fixed political and economic connection able to increase the long-distance exchanges. Otherwise in that period, the socio-political situation in Abruzzo was confused: especially at South-East from Maiella, between Manoppello and Sangro river, the first Norman conquerors frequently threatened the Casaurienses properties. During the Swabian and Angevin ages - because of strong relations between the french dynasty and Florence - and then the Aragonese one, when a stronger bond was created with the Lombardia, this communication axis of acquired a primary role in the peninsula.

From the second half of XIIIth Century to the beginnings of XVIth the areas crossed by this great route increased their development. This course of events directly involved the cities and the other big centers such as L’Aquila, Popoli, Sulmona and Castel di Sangro referring to inner zones. In the seaside this phenomenon reached Teramo, Atri, Ortona and Lanciano, but it deeply involved the mountain centers too, because those exchages were strongly connected with sheep farming activities.

Since the Swabian Age, this development was carried out especially thanks to the relations fixed between the production areas of raw material - the wool but also dyeing materials, silk, cattle – and the big marketplaces in the North. The production of silk and woollen clothes established in the zones of Sulmona and in the Aventino Valley. Everywhere in Abruzzo there are Tuscan bankers and merchants jointly with men of letters, artists and artisans, such as Giovanni Boccaccio, who worked in several centers. He travelled many times through Sulmona, and the first copy of “Decameron” spreads among the merchants in the squares of Sulmona and L’Aquila; Petrarca had, in Sulmona, a small group of friends and correspondents. Moreover, the figure of Ovidio Ovidio (coming from Sulmona) was a strong recall in the atmosphere of incoming Humanism.

The presence of Lombards follows the Tuscan one: the first will last until the XVIIth Century, while the second one reached the half of XVth Century. Among the Lombards prevailed the experienced artisans in the fields of building, manufacturing of stone, wood, wrought-iron and stuccoes. Their colonies were in Abruzzo in the first half of XVth Century, but their number increased after the big earthquake in 1456 that created in this area several chances to work. Certain groups of Lombard dwellings left a remarkable imprint in Pescocostanzo: some handicraft traditions are still in use, they practice the Baptism in conformity with the ambrosian rite, it is spoken a slang called "Lombard Language", they work a kind of lace called “Milanese”. The strong relationship between Majella and the great cities of Abruzzo has been important also for individuals born in these zones who acquired an important position inside the Italian cultural history. In the second half of XIIIth Century the jurist Marino from Caramanico who studied in Bologna, was regarded in the Angevine Court of Naples, as one of the Nation State Theory founder; in XVth Century Nicola from Guardiagrele studied in Florence and became great Master in embossed goldsmith.